IDF issues rare apology over accidental killing of Lebanese Army soldier
Brady Knox
Video Embed
The Israel Defense Forces issued a rare apology after a Lebanese Army soldier was killed by Israeli fire in a cross-border exchange.
The death was the first such casualty of a Lebanese Armed Forces member since the war began on Oct. 7 — a conflict that has seen significant clashes between the IDF and Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border.
SENATE UKRAINE BRIEFING DESCENDS INTO CHAOS AHEAD OF MAJOR VOTE ON AID
“An army military position in the … Adaysseh area was bombarded by the Israeli enemy, leaving one soldier martyred and three others injured,” the Lebanese army said in a statement obtained by Agence France-Presse.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, the IDF explained that it was targeting Hezbollah and hit the soldier in error.
“Earlier today, IDF soldiers operated in self defense to eliminate an imminent threat that had been identified from Lebanon,” the statement read. “The threat was identified within a known launch area and observation point of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, near al-Awadi. Hezbollah’s activities in Lebanon are in clear violation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1701.”
“The IDF was notified that soldiers from the Lebanese Armed Forces were harmed during the strike,” it continued. “The Lebanese Armed Forces were not the target of the strike. The IDF expresses regret over the incident. The incident is under review.”
The apology is telling, as the IDF rarely issues them. The reference to the IDF as the “Israeli enemy” in the LAF’s statement further indicates tensions between the two.
“The Lebanese Armed Forces have confirmed that a soldier was killed and three injured when their base was hit by the IDF today. This is the first time, a LAF soldier was killed during this critical period. The Lebanese Armed Forces have not engaged in conflict with Israel.”
The LAF is the military of the Lebanese government but is several times weaker than Hezbollah, which has de facto control over much of the country. The power imbalance is well known, and the two typically operate parallel to one another without getting directly involved in each other’s affairs.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The LAF is a key regional ally of the United States, serving as a stabilizing influence in a historically unstable country. However, the recent economic crisis has greatly reduced its combat potential.
An Agence France-Presse tally found that more than 110 people have been killed in Lebanon since Oct. 7, most of them Hezbollah fighters and about a dozen civilians. Israel claims six IDF soldiers and three Israeli civilians have been killed in the conflict.